Combined sofa and table



(No Model.)

. -2 Sheets-Sheet 1; J. E. ALDEN.

COMBINED SOFA AND TABLE.

No. 378,996. Patented-Mar. 6, 1888.

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No 878,998. Patented Mar. 6, 1888.

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JOHN ELFORD ALDEN, OF LAKE GEORGE, NEW YORK.

COMBINED SOFA AND TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,996, dated March 6, 1888.

\ Application filed August 16, 1887. Serial No. 247,132. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, J OHN'ELFORD ALDEN, of Lake George, in the county of Warren and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Combined Sofa and Table, of which Elie followingis a full, clear, and exact descripion.

This invention relates toa combined sofa and table, and has for its object to provide simple and effective means for locking hinged end parts of a tabletopin unfolded positions, to serve as legs to a sofa when the table with its legs folded within its frame is inverted to receive the adjustable sofa-top.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the piece of furniture, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification,in which similar letters of reference indicate cor responding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front View of the piece of furniture adjusted as a sofa, and with parts broken away and in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the end portion of the table drawn to a larger scale than the same parts are represented in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one end of the table, with the end leaf forming one sofa-leg shown in raised position and parts broken away; and Fig. 4. is a perspective view of the shaft and its arms, latches, and lever used at each end of the table.

The body or frame A of the table consists of opposite sides a a and ends a a, connected in any approved way, and, a top, B, the main portion, 7), of which is fixed to the top of the frame A, while the end parts, b b, of the top are pivoted by lugs and pins at If, to the ends a a of the frame, and may be swung upward on said pivots, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, prior to inverting the table and folding its legs 0 into the frame A, and so as to serve as legs to the adjustable sofa-top D. Blocks or strips a a which are hinged to the ends a a of the frame A, allow the bottom board, d, of the sofa-top D to rest between the sides a a of the frame and upon the ends a a when said blocks are swung over outward on their hinges. The sofa-top is made in sections, which may be folded one upon the other inside of the table-frame when the piece of furniture is adjusted as a table. The illustration of the sofa in Fig. 1 of the drawings is given to make clear the conditions under which the present improvement is applied to use, it being understood that this invention relates to the meansemployed for locking the sofa-legs in place to support the sofa-top in position for use and allowing said legs to be folded level with the part b of the table-top to form parts of said top when the piece of furniture is adjusted for use as a table. The general arrangement of the sofa-top and its adjustment to the inverted table-frame is the subject-matter of another application for Let ters Patent filed by me June 16, 1887, Serial No. 241,525.

I particularly describe the present invention with more special reference to Figs. 2, 3, and4 of the drawings and as follows: The arrangement of the folding sofa-legb and its looking devices is the same at each end of the table-frame; hence a description of the leg and locking mechanism atone end of the table will suffice. The two legs 0 C at the end of the table are connected rigidly to a cross-bar, E, and the legs and cross-bar are pivotally con nected to. the table-frame A by a shaft, F, which passes loosely though the legs 0 O and fits loosely or so as to turn freely in bearings at opposite sides a a of the frame. The shaft is preferably fitted closely in a semicircular groove made along the outside of the crossbar- E. To each end of the shaft F is fixed an arm, G, to the free end of which is pivoted at g the inner end of a latch-bar, H, the extremity of which is adapted to look into a notch, i, made in the inner end of a brace, I, which is pivoted at t" to the sofa-leg b. The partsG G, H H, and I I are preferably made of metal and quite thin to adapt them to recesses or pockets J, which are made in the opposite sides a a of the table-frame, and these pockets are provided with covering-plates K, which conceal them and the parts working therein. To the shaft F, about at its center, is fixed an arm or lever, L, which projects downward between the end a of the table-frame and the cross-bar E, and a spring, M, arranged between the parts L a, acts normally to press the lever inward and turn the shaft F and swing the arms G G and latches H H upward to automatically engage the latches with the notches of the leg-braces I I whenever the leg is raised, and by pressing the lever L outward against the tension of the spring M the latches will be withdrawn from the braces to allow the leg I) to be folded down fiat. The end of the lever next the shaft F is fitted into a recess, 0, made in the cross-bar E.

The operation of the locking devicesis very simple and effective and as follows: \Vhen the piece of furniture is in use as a table, the parts b b will be folded down flat to the tableframe A, and the table-legsC will be securely held erect beneath the frame by pins 0 passed through the frame into them, or by other suitable devices. When the sofa is to be used,the parts I) b at opposite ends of the table will be lifted on their hinges b, and when they are fully raised the latches H will engage the notches i of the braces I and securely lock the legs I) in position. The table will now be inverted and rested on thelegs b b. The pins 0, or other detents of the table-legs G, will be removed, and these legs will be folded down onto the tabletop B, and the sofa-top D, which had been stowed away within the table-frame,will be set onto said frame, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, to form a strong, serviceable, and comfortable sofa. To readjust the piece of furniture as a table, the sofa-top D will be removed, the table-legs C will then be raised and secured in place, and the sectional sofatop will then be folded and packed within the table-frame, and will be held therein by crossbars N,inserted at the ends in notches a, made in opposite side bars of the frame, or by any other suitable devices connected to the frame, which will then be inverted and stood upon its legs 0, and the levers L will be pressed to disengage the latches Hfrom the braces I, and the sofa-legs b b will then be folded down to serve as parts of the table-top, as will readily be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a sofa and table, of a frame, A, table-legs O, pivoted thereto and adapted to fold within said frame, a top, B, having hinged parts I) b, which when unfolded form legs to the inverted table-frame, a sofatop adapted for support on the inverted table-fran1e, and locking devices for the hinged parts I) b, consisting of braces I, connected to said hinged parts and provided with notches 1', arms G, pivoted to the table-frame, and latches H, pivoted to the arms G and adapted to the brace-notches, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination, in a table adapted when inverted to support a sofa-top, of a frame, A, legs 0, pivoted thereto and adapted to fold within said frame, a top, B, having hinged parts b I), which when unfolded form legs to the inverted table-frame, and locking devices for said hinged parts I) 1), consisting of braces I, connected to said legs and provided with notches 1., arms G, pivoted to the tableframe, and latches H, pivoted to the arms G and adapted to the brace-notches, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination of the table-frame A, a top, 13, thereon, having hinged parts I) I), which when unfolded form legs to the invertcd table-frame, a shaft, F, journaled to the frame A, legs 0 0, connected by a cross-- bar, E, and pivoted on the shaft F, braces I, pivoted to the legs I) at i and provided with notches 2, arms G, fixed to the shaft F, and latches H, held to the arms and adapted to the brace-notches,substantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination of the table-frame A, a top, 13, thereon, havinghinged parts M, which when unfolded form legs to the inverted tableframe, a shaft, F, journaled to the frame A, legs 0 0, connected by a cross-bar, E, and pivoted on the shaft F, braces I, pivoted to the legs I) at t" and provided with notches 2', arms G, fixed to the shaft F, latches H, held to the arms, and a spring, M, operating to automatically engage the latches with the bracenotches, substantially as herein set forth.

JOHN ELFORD ALDEN.

IVitnesses:

D. FERGUSON, ROBERT IMRIE. 

